India Plans to Sell Ganges Water Online

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is considering selling water from the river Ganges, one of the country’s holiest and dirtiest rivers, through the internet.

In an unexpected move to boost e-commerce and the struggling state-run India Post, the New Delhi administration is planning to deliver packets of water from river Ganges throughout the country.

According to Indian tradition, the water from the river is considered holy and millions of people regularly take a dip in the river. Those who are unable to visit the river in person for a bath, usually purchase water in small bottles through various means for their holy bath.

India’s Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters: “I have directed my department to provide for a network using the e-commerce platform so that the people of India can get shudh [pure] ganga jal from Haridwar/Rishikesh. We assure you all that we will take proactive steps to address the cultural needs of the people of India.”

The river Ganges was one of the centerpieces of Modi’s election campaign in 2014. Though the river has been revered by millions of Indians, it has been one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

“There is a huge demand for Ganga jal. “If the mail carriers can deliver mobile phones, sarees, jewelry, clothes then why not water from the Ganges?” Prasad asked.

The minister added that the India Post is to be overhauled in the coming months to improve the service. The perineal river originates from the Himalayan mountain range and runs through major portions of northern India energizing the lives of close to 40% of the Indian population.

Source: Sputnik News

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4 Comments

1. Source of Ganges water planned to be made available duly bottled has to be right at start of Ganges River untill adequate technological, law enforcement and civic improvement measures are in place along the River System...Bottling Plant can be located anywhere from logistics pont of view. Moot point is that Govt will get competition soon as nothing should then stop Private Sector to follow the suit..

2. Marketing of holy water of Ganges should be taken place after cleaning the river Ganga i.e. after year 2018. Because the partial cleaned water at source near Haridwar will also help in adding to a certain extent in cleaning the river water. This will definitely recover the cost of cleaning in future. The idea of selling of holy Ganga water is good from the religious point of views but we must also consider the future consequences of these actions.

3. Marketing holy water of Ganges must source water from very near to starting og Ganges where it has least pollution. We are yet to see actionable programe implementation with force of laws behind it to STOP pollutants entering into Tributories of Ganges and Ganges itself.What stops the GOI and State Governments to 100% ensure that Industrial Pollutants do not enter the River System?Law never authorised any Industry to discharge its treated / partially treated or untreated effluents into any nullah that can flow into Tributory or even pollute the u/g water near the banks of any tributory.
   What stops GOI and State Governments to plan and implement Sewerage System for the communities that have created habitats near to banks of rivers...? If Seweargae and waste waters can not be collected and transported to an STP, atleast an intermediate step to provide for BIOREACTORS that can digest up to 80% of Organic solids and provide for less polluted waters for irrigation or bio remediation..in the Laldora of villages/ waste land around the communities away from the banks ...
   We hardly have any Pits dug up by any ULB or Village Community where leaves and twigs available during autumn especially, can be collected and utilised for wormiculture Composting ..? If there is a law enacted binding only Organic Agriculture with in a certain distance from the banks of Rivers, it can be a failsafe measure to stop chemical pollutants..Even the leaves and twigs entering the river system lower the DO and increase the BOD of water eventually adversely affecting the ecological balance as acquatic life suffers.
   Interception of Nullahs and collection of Pollutants for safe disposal away from the banks after proper treatment is the real action which is awaited for long for the River System of Ganges...and it will set the pattern for all other Rivers flowing through our Country which has need to conserve its sources of water...each drop .
   

4. Commendable initiative if it shall have some impact on Kawariyas asking for Ganges water online rather than visiting Ganges every year...However, moot question is when would waters of Ganges be restored to its purity levels as it were some six decades back...So much needs to be attempted very honestly and India can feel strong only when atleast it has reversed the degradation of its holiest river by rejuvenating its river system.Polluters must not go unpunished..